So, you’ve decided it is time to make the switch, or maybe you just want to see what you are missing out on. With Steam for Linux on the way, and most of what we do every day moving to the browser, maybe it is time to give Ubuntu a shot? We can help you try it out and then install for yourself.

Ubuntu is pretty easy to install, but the first thing you need to do is pick which method you want to use to install it. Yes, there are different ones…

If you have a DVD burner, you can download the ISO (basically an archive file whose contents can easily put on a disc) straight from Ubuntu and burn it. If you don’t have one, or maybe you want something more compact for long term use, you can go with the Ubuntu USB install. Finally, if you’re not quite ready to get rid of Windows and you want to try running two operating systems on your computer you can do that as well.

For each of these methods, you will be asked to choose between Ubuntu 12.04 and 12.10 on their website. These two versions are different as only one of them offers Long Term Support (LTS) which promises 5 years of support from Canonical. 12.04 is the most stable version of the OS available, but if you want the latest features choose 12.10. If you run in to any problems with your hardware being incompatible with 12.10, the chances are high that you will still be supported with 12.04.

Ubuntu Live DVD

With fewer and fewer laptops being made with CD/DVD drives, this may not be the best option for everyone, but if you enjoy the gentle hum of your optical drive, grab a blank disk and head to the Ubuntu website. Choose the version you would like to use and click download.

What you will get is a large file with a .iso extension. This is an image of the disc you will now need to create. Do not try to open this file, instead you will write this file straight to a disc. Go to your downloads folder and locate this file, then right click on it. Here you will see an option to write this image to a disk. Select this option and the Windows Image Writer will walk you through the rest of the process. After about 15 minutes (depending on the speed of your optical drive) your disk will be read.

Next, power down your computer and boot from your newly created DVD. Ubuntu will run first in what is called Live mode. It will boot and run a full version of Ubuntu from the DVD, allowing you to try it out and eventually install from here. The faster your DVD drive is, the better this experience will be. Once you have completed the guided install process on the DVD you will reboot straight into Ubuntu.

If you only want to test out Ubuntu (or many other versions of Linux for that matter, a live CD/DVD is usually the easiest way. You’ll be able to use the full OS without having to scrap or in any way modify your current operating system.

Ubuntu on a flash drive

As long as you have a 2GB flash drive, you can boot into Ubuntu on just about any computer out there. Any manufacturer will do, but the flash drive need to be at least 2GB with nothing else on it. If you have something on it, delete that content or format the drive.

When you are ready to get moving, head to the Ubuntu website and download the version you would like to install. While this large file is downloading, grab a copy of the Linux Live USB creator from their website. Depending on your internet connection, by the time you have downloaded and installed the USB tool you will have finished downloading Ubuntu.

Open the Linux Live tool and connect your flash drive to your computer. If the Linux Live tool does not immediately select your flash drive, click on the Choose a USB Key and select your drive. Move down to the second step and select the Ubuntu ISO you installed as the source you want to use for the installation. Once this is complete, all of the traffic lights in the program should be green, which means you can skip down to step 5 and select Create. This process takes about 10 minutes depending on the speed of your computer. Once it is finished you need to remove the USB drive from your computer and shut it down.

The next time your turn your computer on, make sure your Ubuntu Live USB drive is connected to the computer. Boot from the flash drive (you may have to edit your boot order within BIOS), and your computer will load Ubuntu.

You can use Ubuntu from this flash drive, or you can install it onto your computer. Once you have installed it on your computer, you will need to remove the flash drive so you boot into the correct version of Ubuntu. This drive can be used over and over and over again on as many computers as you like.